Man to plead guilty to Poker Room robbery in Hampton Falls

BRENTWOOD – A man who allegedly robbed a 64-year-old at gunpoint outside of the Poker Room in Hampton Falls intends to plead guilty instead of going to trial.

Bryan Lisio, 25, of Hampton is being held at the Rockingham County jail on two counts of felony robbery and two counts of second-degree assault in connection with the Jan. 31 attack.

A judge has set a plea-and-sentencing hearing for Aug. 28.

Terms of the plea agreement have not yet been made public. Lisio could have faced up to 7½ to 15 years in state prison and a $4,000 fine had he been convicted by a jury on the most serious robbery charge. The remaining charges are punishable by up to 3½ to 7 years in prison.

Lisio was indicted by a grand jury in May and pleaded not guilty to all charges.

His own statements to a friend led police to arresting him shortly after he attacked the 64-year-old victim, Robert Carleton, according to a police affidavit.

Police said that Lisio went to a local bar, Stacey Jane's, shortly after the robbery and bragged to a friend about getting into a fight earlier in the night. Lisio allegedly showed the friend the $20 bill with blood on it, the affidavit says.

The friend told police he knew that Lisio owned a BB gun that resembled a handgun. Lisio also told his friend that he left behind evidence at the scene of the assault that would implicate him, court records say.

Carleton, the victim, told police that he fought off his attacker, fearing that he was going to be killed, according to court records.

Carleton arrived at the Poker Room around 7 p.m. to play cards. When he got out of his car, a man dressed in black and armed with a handgun approached him and ordered him to get to his knees, police said.

Carleton fled toward the Poker Room, but the robber caught him by the jacket and dragged him between two cars before striking him in the head with the gun, police said. Carleton was then dragged between the Poker Room and the Hampton Falls Inn, according to police.

Lisio took $80 during the robbery and fled from the scene, but left behind a black ball cap. Police also recovered from the scene blood-stained leaves, handcuffs and a large quantity of loose gloves.